Master the Messy Look

Looking your best doesn’t always mean having a polished, professional look. Sometimes you want just the opposite — a messy style that gives you a little extra edge. When it comes to your hair, messy can be the hippest way to go. Check out these tips on mastering the messy look — no matter what kind of hair you have.

Use the Right Products

Using product is the key to getting the messy look right. You don’t want your hair to be squeaky clean and product-free, because that makes you look sharper — not what you’re going for. Products like mousse, hairspray, sea salt spray, putties and clays can go a long way in giving you that cool, messy look. If you have long or fine hair, stick with light products like mousses and sprays that will help give you more volume without weighing your hair down. For medium and short hair, it's good to use stronger products like clays and gels that can add more texture and give your hair a more playful look.

Keep It Loose

If you have long or medium-length hair, stay away from any slick or tight buns, braids or ponytails. The key to mastering messy is to stay loose when you sweep your hair up off your shoulders. You can throw it up into a loose bun on the top of your head or a casual braid that you piece together on your way to the beach.

Get Piecey

Part of the key to messy looks on both long and short hair is to keep it separated and piecey. With short cuts, add some styling product to the roots of your hair and run your fingers back and forth across your scalp to get a cute, tussled look. For longer hair, make sure to let some tendrils fall down from a bun or ponytail. You can tease these slightly to give them more body if you have fine hair.

Don’t Follow Any Rules

Certain looks require a step-by-step process to get your hair into just the right shape. For a messy look, you want to discard all these rules and just sweep your hair up, pin it back or swoop it across your forehead. Whatever you do, just do it with ease and don’t overthink it! Remember, unwashed hair is great for your messy look, but you can also use mousses, sea salt sprays and other products to help achieve the same results.